Virginia Tech running back David Wilson, whose climb up the ACC’s single-season rushing yards list helped keep the Hokies atop the Coastal Division, is the conference’s Of-fensive and Overall Player of the Year for 2011. Wilson, who is pursuing the ACC’s single-season rushing yardage record and is fifth nationally in yards per game, was named on 18 of 45 ballots cast by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Associa-tion. Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly was second with nine votes.
Wilson immediately follows a former teammate, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, in winning the award. Virginia Tech is the first program to produce consecutive Players of the Year since Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward was honored in 1992 and 1993. It’s the fifth time that different players from the same school have won in consecutive years; that happened most recently with the selections of Virginia QBs Shawn Moore (1990) and Matt Blundin (1991).
Wilson, a junior from Danville, Va., was elevated to the starting job when two accomplished teammates left school early for the NFL. But the Hokies, who seek their fifth ACC cham-pionship in eight years of membership on Saturday, quickly learned they would remain dynamic in the running game even without Ryan Williams and Darren Evans.
Wilson ran for 100 or more yards in all but two of the Hokies’ 12 regular-season games. His total of 10 games at 100 or more ties an ACC record last established by Williams, then a freshman, in 2009. In one stretch of especially consistent play, he rushed for 132, 123, 128, 136 and 134 yards in con-secutive starts.
As a result, the Hokies maintained control over their conference while three defensive starters suf-fered season-ending injuries before the regular season’s home stretch. With Wilson doing the bulk of the running, Virginia Tech stands fourth nationally in time of possession at more than 34 minutes a game.
Wilson has netted 1,595 yards and a per-game average of 132.9. That puts him well within reach of the ACC’s single-season record for total yards on the ground, which Virginia’s Thomas Jones set with 1,798 in 1999.
The Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association is an organization of journalists dedicated to fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between the news media and the institutions and administration of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The group serves as a liaison to decision-makers.
2011 ACC Player of the Year
David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech (18)
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College (9)
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson (8)
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson (7)
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (3)
Offensive Player of the Year
David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech (26)
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson (9)
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson (8)
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (2)
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